Swivel hub for tent poles

ABSTRACT

A tent-pole hub includes a base member including a perimeter wall having first and second opposing orifices formed therethrough and having an upper rim defining a base-member upper orifice having a width. The hub further includes a swivel member having a channel formed therethrough. The swivel member has a bottom portion disposed below the channel. The bottom portion has a width that exceeds the width of the base-member upper orifice.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 62/328,199 filed Apr. 27, 2016, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND

Many camping tents employ two flexible pole assemblies that intersect each other to establish four points of anchoring contact between the ends of the pole assemblies and the ground or other tent-supporting surface. Typically, the pole assemblies are held together at the intersecting point by a one-piece, non-swiveling structure or a two-piece assembly in which such two pieces are held together with fasteners. However, each of these approaches allows only limited, if any, relative rotational motion between the pole assemblies thereby undermining the stability of the tent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side exploded view of a tent-pole hub according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the hub of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the hub of FIG. 1 with a first tent pole inserted therein; and

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of the hub of FIG. 1 with a two tent poles inserted therein.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

This patent application is intended to describe one or more embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the use of absolute terms, such as “must,” “will,” and the like, as well as specific quantities, is to be construed as being applicable to one or more of such embodiments, but not necessarily to all such embodiments. As such, embodiments of the invention may omit, or include a modification of, one or more features or functionalities described in the context of such absolute terms.

An embodiment includes a two-piece design which uses at least one tent pole to hold the two pieces together without requiring additional fasteners. More specifically, an upper swiveling piece fits through the bottom of a base piece and protrudes out of the top of the base piece. Such an embodiment allows the tent poles to be held in position relative to each other while allowing one rotational degree of freedom of one pole relative to the other.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-2, a tent-pole hub 10 includes a base member 20 including a perimeter wall 30 having first and second opposing orifices 40, 50 formed therethrough and having an upper rim 60 defining a base-member upper orifice 70 of a predetermined width or diameter. Perimeter wall 30 has a lower rim 15 defining a base-member lower orifice 25.

Hub 10 further includes a swivel member 80 having a channel 90 formed therethrough. Swivel member 80 has a bottom portion 100 disposed below the channel 90. Bottom portion 100 has a width or diameter that exceeds the width of the base-member upper orifice 70 such that bottom portion 100 cannot pass through the upper orifice 70. However, as best illustrated in FIG. 2, the entirety of the swivel member 80 can pass through base-member lower orifice 25.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-4, the first and second orifices 40, 50 are configured to receive a first tent pole 110 through perimeter wall 30 to support the protrusion of swivel member 80 out of upper orifice 70. Subsequently, a second tent pole 120 can be inserted into and through channel 90. Swivel member 80 is rotatable relative to base member 20 such that pole 120 is rotatable relative to pole 110.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tent-pole hub, comprising: a base member including a perimeter wall having first and second opposing orifices formed therethrough and having an upper rim defining a base-member upper orifice having a width; and a swivel member having a channel formed therethrough, the swivel member having a bottom portion disposed below the channel, the bottom portion having a width that exceeds the width of the base-member upper orifice.
 2. The hub of claim 1, wherein the perimeter wall has a lower rim defining a base-member lower orifice through which the entirety of the swivel member can pass.
 3. The hub of claim 1, wherein the first and second orifices are configured to receive a tent pole to support the swivel member.
 4. The hub of claim 1, wherein the swivel member is rotatable relative to the base member. 